While charity is a voluntary act, it is given to help those who are less fortunate. Charity can therefore be a means of financial support for individuals, families and orphans who are hungry, sick, or vulnerable.
There are many people, especially across the Indian subcontinent, who face many struggles when it comes to not just finances but health too. Due to natural disasters and poor living standards, there are many people and families who are unable to afford food or have access to clean water or decent living quarters. This can have a detrimental effect on them, especially young children, and without access to medication, their lives are often at risk.
Floods, earthquakes, and other disasters have huge effects on those affected, and often, these people’s lives are changed forever. But the giving of charity allows them to get on their feet and afford basic necessities for themselves and their children or family.
Charity is the practice of giving a portion of your wealth to charity to help others. This wealth can come in the form of money, but it can also refer to sharing the wealth of your kindness. Charity highlights the importance of sharing, and we should each make an effort to contribute to charity more frequently.
Why Should We Give To Charity?
Charity is by no means compulsory, but people give to charity to express kindness and share their wealth. That said, there are numerous reasons why someone may wish to give to charity. For instance, religious individuals may choose to give to charity to perform this religious act for the sake of their God and to help others to please them.
Other people believe that giving to charity cleanses their wealth, as they’re not hoarding money and ensure that it also reaches those who need it most.
Some people strongly believe that they can only get out of life what they put into it. This means that if they want good things to happen to them, they must do good things for others. As a result, they adopt the practice of giving to charity to keep them grounded.
Whom Does Charity Help?
Charity can be given to many people who are in need, such as the following: anyone who is financially poor, someone who is needy and in difficulty, enslaved people and captives, those in debt, and those who are travelling with few resources. Although some of these types of people are unlikely to come across, such as captives, there are many who are, such as the poor and needy. Charity can help these people to buy food, medication, better living conditions, clothes, and other essentials to better their overall health.
Charity can even be given to immediate family, such as siblings, parents, or spouses.
Charity In Different Cultures
Charity is an important feature of a number of religions, and to be admitted into their respective heavens, religious people must give generously to charity. For instance, Muslims are obliged to pay Zakat, which is quite different from what’s typically perceived as charity. This is because Zakat is compulsory for every adult Muslim who exceeds a specific threshold. Anyone who exceeds the set threshold must pay 2.5% of their wealth in the form of Zakat.
To work out the 2.5% of Zakat on your gold, silver, cash, livestock, and other assets, they can use a Zakat calculator, which is helpful for those who are not confident in mathematics and percentages.
It’s not just Islam; virtually all religions place emphasis on the importance of charity, as it’s considered morally correct.
